Annie RKH 3 Dec 2014

The Four Challenges of Poker Photography

Christmas is coming and it's time to count our blessings and say our thank yous. This is a shout-out for the other pros in live tournament poker - the invisible women and men with the cameras! The best of them manage to capture moments of triumph, weakness and pain. The very best give us a glimpse of the personalities behind the poker faces.

Christian Zetzsche by Harry Brouwer

So what stands between a photographer and a great poker shot? Professional poker photographer Tambet Kask identifies the following four things that make the genre special and challenging:

1. Low Light

Dim lighting is a nightmare for photographers and the first and foremost challenge they have to deal with in live poker. Moreover, without recourse to flash, as it is strictly forbidden in poker tournaments..

2. “Pokerface” and emotions

You need to be patient, alert, and invisible in order to catch any emotion that might break down a player's poker face for a second.

3. Focus

To keep the images sharp you have to choose the right settings for the camera, reacting quickly to the slightest change in the environment.

4. Details

You must remain the artist throughout, thinking about composition and angle all while adjusting ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and waiting for that burst of emotion on your target's face.

Read the post by Tambet Kask, So what is so special about poker photography? on www.klamberproductions.com

All of the above makes even more impressive the work of the poker photographers who have mastered the challenges of the profession and have been making us feel closer to the players we like and the poker action we crave!

Respect and thank you, Melissa Haereiti, Jayne Furman, Alin Ivanov, Tambet Kask, Franҫois-Xavier Thiébaud, Christian Zetzsche, Joe Giron, Neil Stoddart, to name just a few!..

Neil Stoddart by Lina Olofsson

“Being around poker players is kind of like being around successful musicians because the ego is there, the bankroll is there and you're dealing with some really interesting characters and personalities,” Giron told PokerListings.com.

“For me the essence is going beyond the basic poker-face photography and capturing images that tell a story about what these players are going through to become champions, or the dejection of getting so close and falling short.”

Joe Giron, www.joegironphotography.com